This watercolor portrait is my newest painting.  It is painted on Textured Claybord.

"Angelina"
Watercolor on Textured Claybord
size: 11"x14"

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that I am hosting a new challenge at Susan Harrison-Tustain's Artist Forum.

This Challenge is/was a Watercolor Rose Study. I am happy now to tell you that my Rose painting is finished and I am more happy that so many artists joined the challenge. Some are still working on their roses and I hope they find my teaching how I do a rose helpful.

This is my finished Rose painting.

Rose Ghislaine de Féligonde
medium: watercolor on 140 Lb hotpressed paper
size: 8x8 inch - 20x20 cm
© Doris Joa

If you want to try doing a rose by yourself so I encourage you to visit this challenge. I posted the drawing, the ref.pics. and explained my steps how I am working. On this forum are other helpful challenges and tips.

While you are there please visit also Susan Harrison-Tustain's Website. It is completely new and WOW! what a source for artists. Please visit the Artist's Site to find helpful FREE articles, Video Clips of her Watercolor DVDs, Publications for download in many many magazines and also her Blog. Enjoy your tour through her website and do not forget to visit her Gallery of Oil and Watercolor Paintings on the Fine Art Site and take a sneak preview into her new exhibition paintings.

On my Rose Painting I tried some new brushes. I will tell you more in my next post.

Exciting News again!

My pink tulip painting  in watercolor "Frühlingsboten" (Signs of Spring) is published in the french art magazine "Pratique des Arts". This magazine is similar to the US Artists Magazine and full of info. Although I speak only a few french words  it is wonderful to look through this magazine and to see all the wonderful art displayed.

Enjoying a cup of tea and reading through the magazine. What can make more fun?

They made an article about flower artists of the world and I feel very honored that they included my work. I was excited to see that my painting was not only displayed on Page 10, they also used it in their list of contents. How cool!

Copyright: Pratique des Arts

And here you can see my pink tulip Flower Watercolor painting again:

"Frühlingsboten" - Watercolor Painting by Doris Joa

The Original is sold - but fine art prints of this tulips are available. More information are on my fine art print page.

Does this happen to you, too?

You are just leaving the room for a short moment - a really short moment - you come back and what do you find on your chair?

Today I can show two new Pink Rose Paintings. Both are painted in watercolor and size of each watercolor painting is 6x6 inch.

I am also happy to tell you that I am a guest artist at SusanArt Forum, where I am just hosting a Rose Challenge. It is a free Demo and I am providing the Ref.pics, the drawing and explaing my steps about how I paint a rose. Everyone is invited to join this Challenge.

Please click here to visit the SusanArt Forum - a wonderful forum created from Susan Harrison-Tustain

Rose Clair Renaissance VI, size 6"x6" (15x15 cm),
watercolor painting, copyright: Doris Joa

This is another small Rose painting. It is a painting of the Rose Clair Renaissance, one of my favorite roses. This Rose has a pale pink colour and I love to create the shadows. The inner glows with an yellow underwash of Indian Yellow, I then added Translucent Orange and then a mix of Scarlet Red and Translucent Orange.

Artists often ask how a dark background can be created. It is really easy to do.

When I am doing a background I do at first wet the area, on which I want to paint. Sometimes I do paint on the dry area, apply my colours there and then go immediately with a wet brush over the edges, so that no hard edges are created. But this I do only on really small areas.

Now back to the better method. I do wet the area I then apply my colours just I like them, some yellow, some orange, some sap green, some red and also some darker colours like a mix of alizarin crimson and phthalo green or I am using Paynes Grey Bluish. I apply these colours side by side, this allows me also to create an interesting background, when you want that some lighter areas will show between some darker areas.

Of course the first underwash will not be enough, the colours are light and it would look too colourful. Wait until all is dry and then do the same. Add the green, where you want to have the green, add more yellow, where you want to have it glowing a bit more, add some darks, when you want more darks. When this is still not enough, let it dry and then add another layer. Do it so long until you are happy with your background.

It works absolutely perfect and is so easy to do. The darker the background the more the flower will pop in your painting, adds more drama to the artwork.

The shadows on this Rose were created with a mix of Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo blue, a bit of Translucent Orange to the mix, where I wanted to have the shadows warmer. Where I wanted to have them cooler I used a bit more of the blue.

I was very surprised to get a message from Alex Zonis, who gave me a blog award - the Sunshine Blog Award.

Thank you very much Alex and I feel very honored.

I have to follow the Award rules and must nominate 12 bloggers. That is an easy job, because I would like to nominate my friends on the Artcolony blog. I am happy to be a part of this Artcolony blog, because there are some wonderful artists which has become friends to me. This are more than 12, but each of them deserve the award, if this is Jane Freeman, Cindy Agan, Diane Morgan, Mollie Jones, Mary Jansen, Nita Bridges-Hoyt, Emily Johnson, Carol Chretien, Kay Smith, Debbie Cannatella, Verena Heroux, Ruth Steinfatt, Elinor Sethman, Pat Hart, Kaaren Oreck, Christiane Fortin, Chris Beck and Michelle Himes. They all deserve this Sunshine Blog award, because they always like to share all they know about painting, they are very helpful and an inspiration. I only wish my special friend from the other side of the world - Susan Harrison-Tustain -  would have a blog, because she also deserves this Blog award. Her paintings are full of magic and she also always loves to share her knowledge about painting.

Collection of Roses paintings, each 6x6 inch (15x15 cm), watercolor on paper
copyright: Doris Joa

I painted more and more roses in the past time. Here I am displaying some of them. Each is 6"x6" (15x15 cm) and each is painted on 140 Lb hotpressed paper.

All are sold, but some are still currently running on ebay. If you want to have a look please click here.  My starting price is $19.95 and shipping is $8 worldwide. I do combine shipping for up to 6 or 7 small original paintings or prints.

It looks great to see the Roses displayed together and it makes absolutely much fun to create them.

Her Moment in the sun, watercolor, 20x28 inch (50x70 cm)
copyright: Doris Joa

And here is my newest figurative painting of a young girl/woman standing on a bridge and enjoying the moment in the sun. It is painted on 140 Lb coldpressed watercolor paper, stretched over stretcher bars, size is 20"x28" (50x70 cm).

While working on some other projects I couldn't resist to do some Rose paintings.

Here are a few. Pink Roses, white Roses and a Yellow Rose. Some are painted on 140 Lb coldpressed paper, others on hotpressed paper and others on the heavier 340 Lb coldpressed paper. I like all three surfaces.

All these paintings are listed on ebay in auction, with a starting price of $19.95. Shipping is $8, combined shipping without additional shipping costs is also possible. When you want to have a look, please click here

If you are searching for  a special rose or a special colour please just send an email.

Do you also want to have your favorite roses painted? ust send an email.

Click here to go to the auctions.

I am wishing you all a very Happy New Year. May it be blessed with health, joy, peace, luck, enough money, success in your career and all what you wish.

I want also to say "Thank you"  for your support in 2009.

There is a new figurative painting to show

I already have my first painting of a young child sitting at a river completed in 2010. It is painted on Aquabord in watercolor, size is 11x14".

This little girl with her pink dress and pink shoes sits at a river and she got wet feet.

For our Christmas exchange with some artists friends on Artcolony I painted our black cat "Timmi". The reference photo of Timmi was done some days before we lost him. It was the first time that I painted him. This painting went to Kay in USA and she told me that she loves the painting very much. So my surprise for her was perfect.

The painting is around 9x12 and painted in watercolor on Reeves Watercolor Board.

I also finished finally my figurative painting of "Ines". It is also watercolor, painted on Fabriano Watercolor paper, size is: 12x24".

If you are searching for some special art please keep in mind that I do take commissions. Since all other commissions for Christmas are completed I am having free time to take new commissions, if this is for a Rose or Flower painting, a portrait or a pet portrait or whatever you want. Please contact me without any obligations using my contact form here.